Animal litter is, of course, widely known and utilized by many, especially those with indoor animals, such as cats, rabbits, or other like animals. Often, pet owners utilize a litter box, sometimes called a sandbox, litter tray, litter pan, or catbox, to provide a dedicated area for a pet to excrete, either instinctively or through training. Typically, indoor pets can have free roam of a home but typically cannot or do not go outside to relieve themselves. Indeed, many owners of these animals prefer not to let them roam outside for fear that they might succumb to outdoor dangers, such as weather, wildlife or traffic. A litter box makes it possible to shelter pets from these risks.
In the wild, cats naturally excrete in soft or sandy soil for easy burial. They use their paws in a backward sweeping motion to cover their feces and urine. To stimulate this instinctive desire, a litter box's bottom is filled typically with an inch or more of litter box filler. Litter box filler is often a loose, granular material that absorbs moisture and odors such as ammonia.
There are many types of litter box filler materials that are used. A litter is often intended to provide a medium for absorbing liquid waste, such as urine. Likewise, litter is further intended to contain odors, and many litters are designed to clump together so the clumps may be easily removed and the liquid waste better contained. Sand, or a silicate material, is often used for litter, especially cat litter. However, sand may be messy, may create dust, may fail to effectively absorb odors, and may stick to animals' paws and fur, allowing the animals to track the sand around the home.
Other like litter materials may include conventional clay, but these also cause many problems, like sand. Clays tend to also create dust, which can be breathed by the animal or people, tend to stick to paws and fur allowing the clays to be tracked around the home, and may not be easily disposed or biodegraded in the environment. Moreover, as noted above, the clay dust may stick to paws and fur and may be ingested by the animals as they clean themselves. Oftentimes, the clay used in animal litter is strip-mined, which is harmful to the environment. Clay can also be quite heavy and difficult to carry and transport.
Corn cob, or other corn-based litter, may also be used, but these materials are also quite messy. It is often the case that the granules of litter based on corn again stick to paws and fur, and are tracked around the home. Corn-based litter further contains corn dust that may stick to the sides of a litter box due to static charge, and may consequently be transferred to animals' fur or breathed. While corn-based litter may clump, the clump residue often results in tiny clumps that slip through litter scoops so are difficult to scoop, thereby remaining in the litter box, creating an unsanitary and unhealthy environment for the animals. Corn-based litter granules may also become embedded in carpeting or within grooves or cracks in flooring, and typically require tedious cleaning. In addition, because corn-based litter is also often edible and the smell may be attractive to animals, pets may consume the litter instead of using the litter for excretory functions.
Another litter material includes pulverized wood that may be shaped into pellets. However, these pellets often come apart when scratched by animals, such as cats. Thus, irregularly shaped pellet segments may stick to paws and fur, and may cause a mess within a home as an animal moves from the litter box.
Many litters having dust associated therewith, such as the silicate, clay, wood, or corn-based litters, may come in bags or boxes that must typically be poured into litter boxes. Pouring this material into litter boxes may cause the dust to billow, which is unhealthy for animals and humans to breathe.
Many litters further utilize odor absorbers and/or fragrances to attempt to remove and/or cover up the pungent smell of animal urine and feces. However, in many cases, the odor absorbers are not healthy for animals, and the fragrances can be strong, causing animals with sensitive senses of smell to avoid the litter box containing these materials.
A need, therefore, exists for improved animal litter and methods of making and using the same. More specifically, a need exists for improved animal litter that reduces litter messes, effectively clumps together, and reduces odor.
In addition, a need exists for improved animal litter made from all-natural, biodegradable materials. Moreover, a need exists for improved animal litter that is environmentally-friendly and can be made from recycled materials.
Further, a need exists for improved animal litter that will not stick to paws or fur. Still further, a need exists for improved animal litter that will not be tracked around a home after an animal has used a litter box.